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A. B. TROWBRIDGE ET AL VAULT AND SAFE CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 9, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 20, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER B. TROWBRIDGE, OF FLUSHING, NEW YORK, AND OTTO W. TEN EYCK, OF

' GLEN RIDGE, NEW JERSEY.

VAULT AND SAFE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed January 9, 1922. Serial No. 527,848.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER B. Tnow- BRIDGE and Or'ro W. TEN Exon, citizens of the United States, and residents of Flushing, in the county of Queens and State of New York, and Glen Ridge, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, respectively, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vault and Safe Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in vault and safe construction and particularly to the construction of the walls of a bank vault or safe and of the door therefor. An object of our invention is to provide a wall construction for bank vaults, or the like, and a construction of door therefor which shall be much less expensive than the constructions previously used for this purpose and which shall resist attack by the implements at the command of a safe breaker more effectively than constructions previously in use.

This is accomplished, generally speaking, by forming the walls of the vault and the body of the door of a diflicultly fusible plastic material such as concrete in which is embedded metallic reinforcements in the form of sheets or strips of metal arranged transversely to the outer surfaces of the structure, anchored to the concrete and arranged closely adjacent to one another. Preferably the reinforcements referred to take the form of expanded metal sheets which are preferably placed vertically on edge throughout the ceiling and floor, and horizontally throughout the vertical walls and door, reinforcing bars also preferably extending through the openings in the expanded metal at right angles to the sheets.

Vith such a construction the whole structure is very effectively tied together so that if a hole be drill-ed in a wall and a charge of explosive placed therein and exploded, very little of the structure in front of the explosive would be likely to be blown off because of the thorough manner in which it is tied to the material to the rear thereof. Also when attack is made by blow pipe or by drilling, the safe breaker will constantly encounter comparatively small separated masses of metal embedded in the concrete which will greatly slow down his progress because of the different methods which must be employed for operating against concrete and against metal.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will appear more fully in the following speciications and in the appended claims.

In order that a clearer understanding of the invention may be had attention is hereby directed tothe accompanying drawings forming part of this application and illustrating one embodiment of our invention. In the drawings- Fig. l represents a vertical longitudinal section through a bank vault embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken online 3-3 of Fig. l, illustrating a method of effecting joints between two vertical walls;

Fig. Il is a horizontal section through a door seated against its jamb in one of the walls of the vault, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the vault or safe may be of any desired dimensions, a bank vault of rectangular shape comprising an integral ceiling, floor, and side walls being illustrated. The various walls of the structure, which term is used to include the floor and ceiling, comprise a difticultly fusible material, such as concrete, indicated at l, reinforced in a manner to be described. The concrete used may suitably be formed of one part cement, one and one-half parts sand, and three parts gravel, such proportions being given, however, merely by way of example.

In the vertical walls of the structure the perforated or open work metal sheets 2 constituting the chief reinforcements are preferably laid horizontally and in metallic contact one with another. As stated these sheets are preferably expanded metal sheets which may be considered as composed of metallic strips, each sheet comprising a layer of such strips integrally secured together. In the form of expanded metal sheets illustrated each sheet is composed of parallel strips extending diagonally across the sheet and other parallel strips extending at an angle to the ones first mentioned, so that diamond shaped openings will be formed between the strips, all of the strips, of course, being integrally secured together. In forming the Vertical walls the superposed sheets 2 are preferably laid in an alternating arrangement, the lengthwise direction of the diamond shaped openings of one sheet being at right angles to the lengthwise direction of these openings of the sheets above and below the same.

The sheets 2 will extend preferably for the greater part of the thickness of the walls. One type of expanded metal which may suitably be used comes in eight foot lengths having widths of three feet five inches and weighing 3.65 pounds per square foot, this being given, of course, merely by way of example. When such sheets are used they may be cut into three strips eight feet long and about fourteen inches wide which will be suitable for use with a wall eighteen inches thick, or the sheets may be split lengthwise to make sheets twenty and onehalf inches wide for use with walls having total thickness of twenty-four inches. If the sheets are used in the stock width of three feet five inches, and allowing for the concrete outside of the sheets, a suitable wall would have a width of about three feet nine inches. For other thicknesses of wall the sheets should be cut as required for the thickness of the wall and the remaining parts of the stock sheets utilized in whatever width remains in the same manner as the full sized sheets would be used. The sheets should preferably be laid in such manner as to break joints at the ends of the sheets.

As stated, the expanded metal sheets are preferably laid in vertical arrangement in the ceiling and floor of the vault, as is indicated at 21. In the floor and ceiling the sheets 21 are preferably separated from each other by means of steel reinforcing bars which may suitably be made of three-quarter inch diameter material. These spacer bars are indicated at 3 and are preferably staggered as shown in Fig. 2 and are preferably secured to the expanded metal sheets 21 by wires (not shown) to temporarily hold them in place while the concrete is being poured. These rods 3 are arranged to run parallel with the sheets 21. Also reinforcing bars 4 are preferably used running transversely to the sheets 21 through the meshes of the expanded metal, these bars may be suitably formed of three-quarter inch diameter material located on centers from nine inches to twelve inches apart.

As stated, sheets 2 in the vertical walls of the structure are preferably laid in metal to metal contact with alternating layers reversed in direction so that in one layer the length of the mesh of the expanded metal runs lengthwise of the wall and in the next layer the length of the mesh runs transverse the wall (see Fig. 3). Reinforcing bars 41 are preferably employed extending vertically through the wall and through the meshes of the sheets 2 for the purpose of tying these sheets together. These rods may suitably be formed of three-quarter inch diameter steel spaced from nine inches to twelve inches apart. These bars should preferably be formed in. short lengths so as to facilitate the placing of the sheets which may be dropped over the bars before the concrete is poured. In laying the reinforcing for the walls not more than say two to three feet of reinforcements should be placed at one time, after which the concrete should be poured around and through the reinforcement and additional reinforcement placed in position, as the concrete is poured, se that the entire vault comprising floor, side and end walls and ceiling is monolithic in structure.

The methods of forming the joints at the corners will now be described. The junctions between the walls forming the short sides of the Vault and the roof portion of the same are preferably made in the manner indicated in Fig. 2. As is there indicated the sheets 2 lying iiat in the vertical wall are gradually changed in position as they work around the corner until the vertical position indicated at 21 is reached, the sheets 2a at the corner radiating from the corner. Sheets of less width, 2b with this arrange-ment, will be placed towards the outer corner to lill in the space between the sheets 2a of the standard width. The junctions between the walls forming the short sidesof the vault and the floor of the vault are preferably formed in this manner, as well as the junctions between the said sides and the roof portion.

The junctions between the walls forming the long sides of the vault and the ceiling are preferably made in the manner indicated in Fig. l. As is there indicated the horizontal sheets 2 in the vertical walls forming the long sides of the Vault extend upwardly to a level slightly above the bottom of the roof slab, the sheets 21 of the roof slab being extended across the upper ones of the sheets 2 of the vertical walls to the outer faces of the same. W'ith this construction the vertical reinforcing bars 41 are extended upwardly approximately to the top of the roof slab, as indicated in Fig. l, the lower edges of the sheets 21 in the roof slab preferably resting in contact with the upper surfaces of the upper ones of the horizontal sheets 2 in the vertical walls. The junction between the walls forming the long sides of the vault and the floor construction may be made in a similar manner, as indicated in Fig. l. At the junctions between pairs of intersecting vertical walls, such as at the junction of a long side wall and a short side wall, or end wall, the expanded metal sheets preferably overlap each other in the manner indicated 'UJI uns LO,

in Fig. 3. As is there indicated one of the sheets of expanded metal 2, in one of the walls, 1a, may be extended across the end of the other wall 1b, while the sheet 2d in the wall 1b, at the same horizontal level as the sheet 2C, will sto short where it abuts against the side edge of the sheet 2c, this being at the line indicated at 5. In the next layer underneath sheet 2d the sheet 2AA will extend all the way across the end portion of wall 1a and the corresponding sheet 2f in wall 1a will stop short where it abuts against the edge of sheet 2e, this being at the line 6. The sheets will, of course, be alternated in this arrangement throughout the height of the walls.

The door for such a vault may be constructed in a manner similar to that of the wall, but a metal shell will be desirable to carry the hinges and pressure operating mechanism for the door, and the bolt work. As is indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, such a door may comprise a steel or other metal shell 7 having a front portion 8 and an integral peripheral edge portion 9 together with integral rear portions 10 by which the bolt work may-be carried. A rear face plate of steel is also shown at 10a. We have indicated, somewhat diagrammatically, bolts 11, 11, mounted at the rear of the door and pivot means 12 for swinging the door into and out of its seat. Any of the usual crane constructions may, of course, be used for seating the door and the usual devices for applying pressure to rmly seat the door. The door seats against a jamb or frame 13 which may be constructed of suitable steel shell, facing the adjacent portion of the side wall of the vault in which the door is mounted. The shell 13 being filled with concrete reinforced by expanded metal sheets in the same manner as the walls. The inside face of shell 13 may be closed by steel face plates 13a.

The interior of the shell 7 of the door may be filled with concrete, or the like, in which expanded metal sheets 14 are placed in horizontal or vertical position. These sheets are preferably of the same character as those previously described and are mounted in metal to metal contact throughout the height or Width of the door as the case may be in the same manner as has been previously described in connection with sheets 2 in the side walls of the vault. Vertical reinforcement bars 4a are also preferably used to extend through the meshes of the expanded metal sheets in the same manner as described in connection with rods 41 in the walls of the vault.

In the preferred construction of the door, however, there is a difference from the construction of the walls, the expanded metal sheets 14 preferably being secured at their edges to the metal shell 7 of the door, preferably by welding the edges of the sheets to the shell. Also preferably the edge portion 9 of the shell 7 is provided with inwardly extending lugs o1` ridges 15. These preferably are provided with inner surfaces which slant forwardly and inwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, the side edges of sheets 14 resting against and being welded to the surfaces of these lugs or ridges. lVith this construction the wedging action of the lugs 15 makes it more difficult to force any of the concrete, reinforced by sheets 14, through the front of the door, if the front shell should be burnt or blown off, or removed, or an opening effected in any other manner. lf desired the top and bottom of the shell 7 may be provided with similar lugs or ridges.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited strictly to the details of construction described but that the same is of a considerable width in accordance with the appended claims.

What we claim is 1. A vault or safe construction, comprising vertical and horizontal walls comprising diicultly fusible material having open work metal sheets embedded therein, said sheets being substantially horizontal in the vertical walls and substantially vertical in the horizontal walls, said sheets gradually changing from the horizontal position to the vertical position at a junction between a horizontal wall and a vertical wall, as the vertical wall approaches the horizontal wall.

2. A vault or safe construction comprising a pair of vertical walls intersecting at a corner, said walls formed of diiicultly fusible material having horizontally arranged layers of open work metal embedded therein, in layers one above the other, the sheets of one layer in the two walls making a butt joint with each other at one point adjacent the corner, and the sheets of the next layer in the two walls making a butt joint with each other at a different point.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this seventh day of January, A. D. 1922.

ALEXANDER B. TROVBRIDGE.

OTTO W. TEN EYCK. 

